The University of Bath Pre-sessional English (PSE) courses will take place on campus in 2025. We offer two courses:
- 10-week course
- 5-week course
You need to hold an offer for your main degree programme before you apply for a PSE course.
Which PSE course you apply for depends on the English language requirement for your degree programme and your current level of English.
Before you apply for a 10- or 5-week PSE course in 2025, you will need to check if you are eligible for:
- a combined offer, or
- a standalone offer.
Combined offer
A combined offer means your PSE course is combined with your degree programme. A benefit is that you only need to apply for one visa for both your PSE course and degree programme.
You may be able to receive a combined offer if your English language test score is very close to the English language requirement for your degree programme and you meet all the other conditions of your offer.
You will need to show proof of undergraduate graduation before the PSE course start date in order to receive a combined offer.
Who you apply to for a combined offer depends on your postgraduate taught degree programme. Please email a scanned copy of your IELTS certificate (or IELTS equivalent) to the relevant admissions team:
- Postgraduate Taught Admissions Team for the Faculty of Engineering and Design, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Science
- School of Management Admissions Team for MSc degree programmes in School of Management
- MBA Admissions Team for the Bath MBA
The admissions team will then decide if you are eligible for a combined offer.
Standalone offer
A standalone offer means that your PSE course is separate from your degree programme.
If you cannot show us proof of undergraduate graduation before the start of the PSE course, you will need to apply for a PSE course via the standalone route.
If your IELTS SELT English language test result (or IELTS SELT equivalent) has any elements at 5.0 you can only apply for a PSE course via the standalone route.
If you are an Undergraduate student or a PhD student, you can only apply for a standalone offer. The combined offer is not available for these programmes.
Secure English Language Test (SELT)
All applicants for a standalone PSE must provide a Secure English Language Test (SELT). Your certificate must be dated within two years of the PSE course start date.
Please check this information about acceptable tests.
Check which standalone PSE course you need and how to apply
English language requirement
Your offer letter tells you the English language requirements for your degree programme. You can also check the English language requirements on individual degree programme pages.
| Current IELTS score or equivalent in accepted test | Recommended course | Start date | Cost | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No more than 1.0 of a band below required IELTS (or equivalent test) scores (overall and elements) | 10-week PSE (Standalone course) | 7 July 2025 | £5,300 | email Admissions |
| No more than 0.5 of a band below required IELTS (or equivalent test) scores (overall and elements) | 5-week PSE (Standalone course) | 7 August 2025 | £2,900 | email Admissions |
If you have taken a different English language test from IELTS, you can check its IELTS equivalent. If your test is not listed, please email the Pre-sessional Team and we will advise you.
Closing date for applications
We close for applications five weeks before the start of the Pre-sessional course:
- 10-week: 2 June 2025
- 5-week: 3 July 2025
"If I hadn't joined the Pre-sessional course, I would be afraid to talk with other people in English." (Jiayi Li, MSc Accounting and Finance)